Cuba Archive - Case 7124

Case ID: 7124

Title: N/A

First name: Edmunda

Last name: Serrat Barrios

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Edmundo Serrat, Edmundo Serrat Barrios

Age: 70

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:6 / Month:9 / Year:1981

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: State Security Headquarters

Location of death - city: Havana

Location of death province - at TOD: La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: Month:8 / Year:1981

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: State Security headquarters at Villa Marista, Havana

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Lawyer who had served a three year prison sentence at the concentration/labor camp Granja América, in the province of Havana. Her political crime was her opposition to and criticism of the Cuban judicial system and Marxist education. After her release, she began acting as lawyer for the defense in cases brought against the government. In August of 1981, during one such trial, she objected to the conduct of the judge, was immediately detained, and taken for interrogation to State Security headquarters in Villa Marista. A few days later her family was informed of her death from an alleged heart attack and her bloodied body turned up at the military hospital in Havana. Her wake was held at a designated state funeral home and the sealed coffin kept under surveillance. A state security policeman who later defected reported she had been beaten to death.
===========================================
Abogada que había cumplido una pena de tres años de prisión en el campo de trabajo forzado Granja América, en la provincia de La Habana. Su crimen político había sido la oposición y críticar al sistema judicial cubano y la educación marxista. Después de su liberación, comenzó a actuar como abogada de la defensa en casos presentados contra el gobierno. En agosto de 1981, durante uno de esos juicios, objetó la conducta del juez, fue inmediatamente detenida y llevada para interrogatorio a la sede de la Seguridad del Estado en Villa Marista. Unos días después su familia fue informada de su muerte por un presunto infarto y su cuerpo ensangrentado apareció en el hospital militar de La Habana. Su velatorio se llevó a cabo en una funeraria estatal designada y el ataúd sellado se mantuvo bajo vigilancia. Un policía de seguridad del Estado que desertó más tarde informó que la habían golpeado hasta matarla.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Reported: Highly likely / Highly reliable source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing

Occupations: - Legal Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Political cause

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Edmunda Serrat Barrios